The Republic of Congo, previously known as French Equatorial Africa,
became independent from France on 15 August 1960. Located in west-central
Africa on the equator, it is bordered by Angola, Cameroon, Central African
Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon. French is the
official language, while local dia-lects are also spoken. Fifty percent of
the people are Christian, while 48 percent follow tribal beliefs and 2
per-cent are Muslim.

In 1971, there were around 10 members of the Church scattered throughout
the country. Twenty years later, on 20 January 1991, the Zaire Kinshasa
Mission President Scott H. Taggart traveled to the capital city of
Brazzaville to begin missionary work there. They met with the
Massamba-Sita family and President Taggart set apart Hyacinthe
Massamba-Sita as lead elder in Brazzaville and gave him permission to hold
sacrament meetings. Senior missionary couple, George Leland and Emily
Burningham arrived a few months later.

The Zaire Kinshasa Mission headquarters were moved to Brazzaville
because of civil unrest in Kinshasa, Zaire, during September and October
1991. The mission headquarters returned to Zaire in November 1991. A
month later, on 23 December, the government of the Republic of the Congo
granted legal recognition to the Church.. The Brazzaville Republic of
Congo District was organized on 23 February 1992.

Elder Richard G. Scott became the first member of the Quorum of the
Twelve and first General Authority to visit the Republic of Congo on 24
August 1992.

On 29 December 1993, the Zaire Kinshasa Mission, which included the
Republic of Congo, was closed because of wars in the region. It was
re-opened in late 1994.

On 19 October 2003, the Brazzaville Republic of Congo Stake was created
with Jean Patrice Milembolo as president.

Membership was 3,262 in 2003.

Sources: "Congo Grants Formal Status to the Church," Church News, 28
December 1991; Borgna Brunner, "Countries of the world, Republic Congo,
People's of the," Time Almanac 2004; Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kinshasa Mission, Manuscript history and historical reports, Church
Archives.